By Hafsah Tilde
The Federal Government has validated more than 40 policy instruments and operational frameworks, including the National Boy Child Policy, to strengthen child protection, family welfare and social development systems nationwide.
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said the reforms were designed to bridge longstanding gaps between policy formulation and implementation across the social sector.
Speaking at the close of a four-day national review and validation exercise in Abuja on Thursday, the minister said the reforms would strengthen protection systems for women, children, families and vulnerable groups.
She said the National Boy Child Policy was developed to ensure boys received adequate support for their development while promoting stronger family and community structures nationwide.
“We’ve talked about the girl child for many decades; it’s time for our boys,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim said.
The minister said the review also produced updated frameworks on child protection, family development, care economy, adoption, orphanage management and services for survivors of gender-based violence.
According to her, government is increasingly focused on ensuring that policies deliver measurable outcomes for citizens rather than remaining largely institutional documents with limited practical impact.
Earlier, Anthony Oluboyede, who led thematic discussions during the review process, said the validation exercise brought stakeholders together to review and update key social protection frameworks.
He said the reviewed documents would improve coordination, standards and implementation mechanisms, thereby strengthening service delivery and accountability across the country’s social development sector.
Desmond Osemhenjie, Programme Specialist at UN Women, emphasised the need for effective implementation of child rights policies to ensure they positively impacted children nationwide.
Osemhenjie said greater attention should be given to the Boy Child Policy, prevention of child abuse and addressing the growing challenge of out-of-school children.
He warned that failure to provide children with education, protection and support at critical stages of development could have long-term consequences on their future.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that commissioners, directors from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), development partners, technical experts, civil society representatives and media practitioners participated in the four-day review and validation exercise.(NAN)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru
